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Does God love dogs and cats?

As a boy growing up in the foothills of Berkeley, my parents encouraged me to have pets. From guinea pigs to parakeets to even a pet chicken named Fwedwika, my home was full of little critters throughout most of my childhood. By encouraging me to be a caretaker for my pets, my parents taught me the meaning of responsibility, consistency and perhaps even love. So, I’ve often wondered if the Jewish religious scriptures supports animal activism and what exactly God would say if I posed the question, “Do You love dogs?”

Dogs are the only animals in the Torah that receive a reward for their actions. When the Jewish slaves flee Egypt, it states, “not one dog barked.” (Exodus 11:7) As a reward for that refrain, God said, “… and flesh torn in the field you shall not eat; you shall throw it to the dog[s].” (Exodus 22:30; Mechilta) However, God’s affection for animals doesn’t end with affable companions such as dogs. This affection even extends to insects. King David had to learn this lesson when he questioned the purpose of such “vile creatures” as spiders. Subsequently, God created an event whereupon a spider’s web saved his life, thereby impressing upon Judaism’s mightiest king that every creature has purpose (Midrash Alpha Beta Acheres d’Ben Sira 9).

The Talmud teaches that the reason the Almighty created animals before humans on the sixth day of creation was to teach humans humility, so much that “even a lowly gnat” may be more deserving of life (Sanhedrin 38a).

So, one may infer from here that God does indeed love dogs … and all the rest of His creatures, too. But does this manifest itself into practical animal activism or does it remain a more generalized and undefined value in Judaism?

Jewish law is replete with requirements for the caring of animals. Examples include laws prohibiting inflicting pain on animals (Kesef Mishneh, Hilkhot Rotzeah 13:9), requiring one to feed animals in a loving manner (Igg’rot Moshe, Even haEzer 4:92) and protecting animals from being overworked (Hoshen Mishpat 307:13). We see from these and more, the extensive lengths to which the Torah goes in order to ensure the proper care of animals. Even when one must slaughter an animal to feed one’s family, there are numerous Jewish laws set in place to guarantee that the animal’s death is quick and painless (Guide to the Perplexed III:48).

One insight we can glean from the Torah about why God may have made animals is that they were created to express the “glory of the Creator.” (Pirkei Avos 6:11) The sheer diversity and beauty of animals leads one to appreciate the Creator even more, thereby leading one to proclaim, “How great is Your work, O Lord.” (Psalm 92:5) One might also say that the Creator has placed us, the descendants of Adam and Eve, in His beautiful garden to be the “caretaker” of “God’s garden” and all the animals therein (Genesis 2:19-20).

Mankind is created last in the days of Creation because humans are the pinnacle of Creation; we are the beings created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). When we use our free will responsibly, acting with compassion and sensitivity, we become like God, as it says, “Just as He is compassionate, so should you be compassionate. Just as He is righteous, so should you be righteous.” (Midrash Sifre Deuteronomy 49) When we develop ourselves to be spiritually refined, we fully realize the title of “caretakers of the world,” of God’s beautiful world and all the animals in it.

Imagine what message it sends a child when parents teach that God wants all our animals to be fed before we feed ourselves (Talmud, Brachot 40a). Imagine what message it sends our child when parents teach that God watches us to see if we are being compassionate to the animals in our midst (Talmud, Bava Metzia 85a). And imagine what message we bequeath to our children when we say that to become truly righteous and spiritually fulfilled, we must cultivate a sensitivity towards animals, as it says “A righteous person knows the needs of the animal.” (Proverbs 12:10)

Perhaps this is why God specifically made Noah build an ark to save all the animals during the Flood. After all, God could have easily made a miracle where the animals were saved without Noah needing to slave away for 40 days and nights meticulously tending to the care of each animal in the ark and even sharing his own table with them (Malbim, Genesis 6:21). One could answer that this was precisely to highlight that the concept of being the “caretakers of the garden” didn’t end with Adam and Eve but is an essential responsibility of mankind for all time.

Additionally, one can also say that the way we treat animals is a reflection of the way we treat people. In the Torah, we observe the repeating story of how a loving shepherd is chosen by God to lead the spiritual flock of the Jewish people after previously demonstrating his dedication to a flock of sheep (Midrash, Shemot Rabah 2:2). A barometer for one’s sensitivity towards other people can be seen in how we treat the animals in our midst. This emphasis on caring for animals can be a way to further those feelings of sensitivity that may eventually lead to goodwill for all mankind.

There is a final fascinating perspective that the Torah is teaching us. Animals can serve as our teachers. There are God-given qualities inherent in the instinctual habits and mannerisms of the animals around us that can serve to inspire humans to achieve greater heights of spiritual fulfilment. For example, the very first law in the Code of Jewish Laws is, “Rabbi Yehuda ben Taima said, ‘Be as bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer and strong as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven.’” (Avot 5:20) Poignantly, this is placed as the first law in a book of Jewish legalities. This idea is most evident in the statement of Rabbi Yochanan: “If the Torah had not been given, we could have learned modesty from the cat, honesty from the ant, chastity from the dove and good manners from the rooster.” (Talmud, Eiruvin 100b) Perhaps we could also learn from a dog the power of devotion, loyalty and even having a positive attitude.

I will conclude with a teaching about man’s best friend, the dog. The notable 16th-century Jewish leader, the Maharsha, says that a dog is a creature of love. Hence, the Hebrew name for a dog is kelev, which is etymologically derived from the words kulo lev, or all heart (Rabbi Shmuel Eidels, Chidushei Aggadot, Sanhedrin 97a). Remember that Adam and Eve were instructed by God to give all the animals of the world their Hebrew names (Genesis 2:19-20). When they made this personal connection with the beasts of the world, the names they chose were prophetically accurate so as to encapsulate the essence of each animal into a name that truly revealed its soul (Bereishit Rabbah 17:4). Thus, one may extrapolate from this that the Hebrew name for a dog was precisely chosen to be indicative of the loving soul of this marvelous creature.

So, yes, God loves dogs. And we should, too.

Rabbi Levi Welton is a writer and educator raised in Berkeley, Calif. A member of the Rabbinical Council of America, he graduated from the Machon Ariel Rabbinical Institute in 2005 and from Bellevue University in 2008 with an MA in education. Having served Jewish communities in San Francisco, Sydney and Montreal, he currently resides in New York and specializes in working with youth and young adults. This article was originally published by Aish Hatorah Resources and is distributed by Kaddish Connection Network.

Are Jews, blacks still allies?

Rabbi Susan Talve at an NAACP march in Ferguson, Mo., with recent bar mitzvah boy Terel Wooten Jr. (photo by Philip Deitch)

Though the relationship has at times been conflicted, throughout the 20th century, particularly in the 1950s and ’60s, the alliance between Jews and African-Americans was strong. This alliance was evident in the Jewish role in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909, and in Jewish leaders joining black leaders to push through the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of the 1960s.

At the height of the Civil Rights era, Jewish figures projected spiritual meaning on to the struggle for social justice. After marching alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1965 march on Selma, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was quoted as saying, “I felt my feet were praying.” Jack Greenberg, former director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defence Fund, likened his early days arguing civil rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court to being in synagogue.

While demographics and history have played out differently in Canada, from the 1950s to the early 2000s, Canadian Jewish Congress engaged in dialogue with other groups representing minorities, including the Jamaican Canadian Association and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

Now, some argue these ties have dissipated and that North American Jews no longer have the same appetite for social justice or feel the same level of kinship with other minority groups.

Yavilah McCoy, the African-American Jewish founder of Ayecha, a nonprofit that advocates for Jews of color in the United States, wrote in Tikkun magazine last January about what appeared to her to be “a great silence among many of the white Jewish social activists I know,” in the wake of the 2012 killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida and the acquittal of his killer.

Bernie Farber, a social activist and former head of CJC, said Canadian Jews have strayed from their duty to support other minority groups. “Working with the Canadian black community was once part and parcel of what we believed was necessary to create a climate of tolerance,” he said. “Somehow, we’ve slipped away from that.”

In light of the August killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., and of the grand jury’s decision last month not to indict him, as well as the recent decision to not indict a white police officer for the choke-hold death of Eric Garner, a black man from Staten Island, as North American Jews, we might ask ourselves, do we have an obligation to fight for the rights of marginalized groups around us? If not, why not?

The weakened coalition between blacks and Jews can, McCoy argued, be partially attributed to the Black Power movement of the late ’60s, which saw black activists shift from King’s racially integrated approach to an ethos of “self-determination, self-defence tactics and racial pride.”

Though this was “crucial to the evolution of black consciousness and identity in America,” it left many Jewish activists “with little input in the black community, and an anti-racism movement that seemed to be moving on without them.”

She also cites dwindling antisemitism in the United States, compared to sustained anti-black racism, and the growing class division between Jews and African-Americans as additional factors.

Farber said that in his opinion the gulf between Jews and blacks resulted not from class disparity, but from North American Jews – particularly Canadian Jews – becoming more inwardly focused, fixated on self-preservation.

About a decade ago, he said, angst about Israel caused Canadian Jews to place their focus on Israel advocacy, downplaying associations with groups of color.

“Canadian Jews have become more parochial,” he said. “Issues of social justice have taken second position…. But by giving up on the social justice agenda, we do ourselves an incredible amount of harm … we’ve lost a lot of who we were.”

In Canada, the Jewish response to Ferguson has been fairly quiet, but some leaders are voicing concern.

“The killing of Michael Brown should deeply disturb us and offend our sense of Jewish moral values,” said Rabbi Aaron Levy of the Toronto congregation Makom. “There’s a strong history of part of the Jewish community identifying with the political left. Where that has gone is a good question.”

Avrum Rosensweig, president of Ve’ahavta, said the “deep scars between the white and black communities” in the United States are “deeply troubling.”

“We see that in Canada with our aboriginal community…. Like Michael Brown, they are seemingly invisible, judged differently because of the color of their skin.”

While Jews on both sides of the border may be less involved in activism, there are certainly exceptions: some American Jewish groups have thrown their support behind demonstrators in Ferguson. In October, nearly 30 rabbis from across the country joined 200 interfaith clergy in peaceful demonstrations, asking police to repent.

The New York-based group Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), which coordinated protest groups after Martin’s killing, is running a campaign for greater police accountability.

T’ruah, a multi-denominational network of rabbis and Jewish communities that works for human rights in North America and Israel, has expressed staunch solidarity with the Ferguson protesters and is in the midst of launching a prison reform campaign.

“Torah teaches us we shouldn’t stand idly by the suffering of our neighbors,” said Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, T’ruah’s director of programs. “Policing and mass incarceration disproportionately affect this one part of our population, and we feel obligated to speak out.”

Rabbi Susan Talve of the Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis, near Ferguson, has long worked to alleviate racism and poverty, developing relationships with African-American and Muslim groups.

A fixture at the Ferguson protests, Talve laments that the Jewish community has become less engaged in social justice. “We’ve gotten pretty complacent in America, as white people,” she said, “but [events in Ferguson] have been a real wake-up call to the Jewish community to stand up for people who don’t have a voice…. That’s certainly what Torah calls us to do.”

Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, senior rabbi at Minneapolis’ progressive Shir Tikvah Congregation, said he, too, felt compelled to protest in Ferguson. “It wasn’t too long ago that it was Jews getting beaten in the streets. I think that we who have suffered have the obligation to stand with people who continue to suffer.”

– For more national Jewish news, visit cjnews.com.

Refugee recognition

President Reuven Rivlin Rivlin addresses the Nov. 30 ceremony at his residence marking the first Day of the Expulsion and Deportation of Jews from Arab Lands and Iran. (photo by GPO/Mark Neiman)

It may have been 47 years ago but Yossef Carasso remembers every detail of the night that he was taken to an Egyptian police station from his home in the city of Tanta, near Cairo. It was the first night of the 1967 war.

“We were the only Jewish family still left in Tanta and, at 10 p.m., there was a knock on the door,” said Carasso. “The policeman told my father, ‘We’re looking for your son and son-in-law.’ They took us to a police station and left us there all night.”

Carasso, who was not accused of any crime, was among 400 Jews who were imprisoned in Egypt at the start of the war when Egypt, along with Syria and Jordan, attacked Israel. For six months, he said, his parents didn’t know if he was still alive. Finally, he was allowed to write to them. Two years later, he was released and, the next day, he and his family left Egypt, originally for France and then for Israel. According to Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC), almost 120,000 Jews left Egypt in the 1950s and ’60s. There are only a few dozen Jews left in Egypt today.

Last week, Carasso attended a ceremony at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s residence, designating Nov. 30 as the national day of commemoration of the plight of Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran. According to the United Nations, about 850,000 Jews left their homes in Arab countries; and 750,000 Palestinians became refugees with the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The largest number of Arab Jews came from Morocco, Algeria and Iraq. Today, half of all Israelis have roots in Arab countries.

Celebrating the holidays in rural B.C.

Mountain Baby’s Chanukah wares on display. (photo from Judy Banfield)

For most of us, preparing for Chanukah is fairly simple. When it comes to finding candles, dreidels and even menorahs, there is no lack of stores and gift shops in Vancouver and Victoria in which to find that last-minute Chanukah item. Even online ordering seems faster these days, with delivery options that can take as little as a day or two to Canada’s West Coast.

But if you are one of the several hundred Jews who populate British Columbia’s small communities where neither stores nor outpost are likely to carry Chanukah candles let alone a chanukiyah, celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights means not only a ton of advance planning but might even mean mapping out your prep, just short of a supply reconnaissance.

First, there’s the planning: the long-distance phone calls, the maps and, often, the overnight accommodation arrangements. Then there’s the road trip – sometimes for several days at a time. For those semi-rural residents who have moved from larger Jewish communities, said Kamloops Jewish community (1-250-372-9217 or kamloopsjewishcommunity.wordpress.com) president Heidi Coleman, planning Chanukah in the country can be an experience in itself.

“In Montreal, you didn’t really have to do so much to be Jewish because Montreal had a huge Jewish community,” said Coleman, who moved to Kamloops two years ago from the East Coast. “Here, everyone who is interested is making an effort to maintain their Judaism.”

Since Kamloops is only a four-hour drive from Vancouver (in optimum conditions), community members often travel to “the big city” to pick up their supplies. She acknowledged that, over the years, the community, which includes members in rural areas outside of Kamloops, has developed an “emergency” list of contacts to fit each holiday season, ranging from Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA in Toronto, to the Okanagan Jewish Community Centre in Kelowna. Still, she said, local stores are beginning to realize that they have a Jewish community in their midst.

“Last year, at Target in Kamloops, they had Chanukah decorations,” remarked Coleman, amazed.

Anne Zazuliak, who serves as the office administrator for the Okanagan JCC in Kelowna and runs its small gift shop (1-250-862-2305 or ojcc.ca), said they often receive customers from throughout the Okanagan and beyond. The small shop has filled a vital niche for Okanagan Jews for almost 20 years. Prior to that, said David Spevakow, the organization’s president, the community did as many rural households still do: they poured over catalogues and purchased in bulk through long-distance connections.

The Chabad Okanagan Centre for Jewish Life and Learning (1-250-862-2305) also acts as a conduit for rural Jews. The centre’s co-director, Rabbi Shmuly Hecht, said the centre does “a lot of contact all over the valley,” providing everything from “Chanukah artifacts” to tzedakah boxes and how-to guides for holiday observance. Jewish families will travel from as far as Salmon Arm, 90 kilometres away, to connect with the centre, which, like many Chabad locations, hosts Chanukah celebrations for the outlying communities.

In Nelson, a long day’s drive from Vancouver, the children’s store Mountain Baby (1-250-352-1789 or mountainbaby.com) is often the go-to place for Jewish families tucked throughout B.C.’s rugged eastern mountains. The shop is owned by Judy Banfield, and is a well-known niche for this time of year.

“I only stock Chanukah supplies,” said Banfield. Vital items like candles, dreidels and chanukiyahs can be shipped outside of Nelson and generally take a “couple of days within B.C. and Alberta” or longer for areas out of province, she said.

The Kootenay Jewish Community Association (contact is [email protected]), also in Nelson, sometimes orders other resources for its members, as well. The organization, which has members scattered throughout the Northwest, helps to connect Jews in areas far away from synagogues.

At the other end of the province, Yvette and David Freeman, who live in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, travel two hours to Victoria to purchase their Jewish holiday supplies. David, who is a lawyer, and his wife Yvette, frequently travel throughout the province, and are acquainted with the challenges being Chanukah-ready in semi-rural areas.

“We always take our own supplies, whether it is kosher food, candles or wine with us. Of course, nearly every B.C. Liquor store carries Manischewitz kosher wine,” said Yvette Freeman.

“In our traveling, we find that there generally seems to be no central buying system.” Often, she said, “we are surprised to find ‘Jewish relevant’ items in some supermarkets.”

Just the same, she observed, there are now options for rural Jews that didn’t exist just a few years ago, thanks to the Internet.

“It all depends on the attitude of the person and the amount of money they are prepared to pay to maintain their level of commitment to Yiddishkeit,” Freeman said.

Jan Lee’s articles have been published in B’nai B’rith Magazine, thedailyrabbi.com and Voices of Conservative and Masorti Judaism. She also writes on sustainable business practices for TriplePundit.com. Her blog can be found at multiculturaljew.polestarpassages.com.

Empathy, failure ‘n’ improv

Ilana Ben-Ari at work, play. (photo by Laynna Meyler)

For her design diploma thesis project, Ilana Ben-Ari created a toy that people with visual impairments could play with their sighted classmates, developing a language around communication and empathy. The formation of her company, 21 Toys, came after what she saw happen with that project.

“The toys really had an incredible way of using play to teach this abstract and difficult skill [empathy],” said Ben-Ari. “I don’t think we emphasize empathy in schools or in education…. We also don’t teach failure, critical thinking or complex problem solving.”

Ben-Ari, a former Winnipegger now living in Toronto, started 21 Toys with the hope of designing a whole fleet of toys honing often-undeveloped skills in both schools and today’s workforce, including creativity and innovation. These skills, Ben-Ari said, “are really hard to understand … to assess, practise or see.”

Ben-Ari created the Empathy Toy in the belief that the attribute of empathy serves as “not only the basis of communication and collaboration, but the backbone of innovation in design, business and other realms. Not only are these skills not being taught when they should be,” she said, “but they [educators] don’t have the right tools to teach them…. This is why a toy – an aid, tool – comes in handy.”

During Operation Protective Edge, a couple of manufacturers from Toronto sent toys, including Ben-Ari’s, to civilians on both sides. “We wanted to send toys to help in the best ways that we could,” said Ben-Ari. “It’s easy to feel helpless watching the conflict from so far away. We saw this as a chance, in some small way, to insert empathy into the heart of the conflict – by using fun and play to create moments of relief.”

Most recently, the toy is being used in a psychological lab established at Bar-Ilan University for kids and adults suffering from trauma.

Ben-Ari described the Empathy Toy as “3-D, abstract, wooden puzzle pieces that are played blindfolded. One player is given a build pattern of abstract wooden puzzle pieces and one or more players is tasked to recreate that same pattern. The challenge is that everybody is blindfolded while playing.

“Today, we need to focus on getting kids to understand what collaboration is, to start being a bit more creative and, in a way, unlearn what schools have reinforced…. When talking about empathy, it’s not just a soft, fuzzy feeling.”

Saint John’s High School in Winnipeg is using the Empathy Toy for its anxiety, language and literacy classes as a foundation of its new leadership program.

“Looking at someone else’s point of view, putting yourself into someone else’s shoes, and being able to work with and understand other people, [their] thinking and perspectives is very much at the heart of what skills you need to develop, to be able to learn,” said Ben-Ari.

“We’ve found that teachers use it for so many applications. What the toy does is let you introduce empathy in this playful way, but then it acts as a mirror to the lesson. It lets teachers be a lot more creative in how they approach their lessons. If we want kids to be innovative thinkers and creative, we can’t teach them that play is a bad thing, that toys, having fun and playing games are things that happen outside of learning.”

photo - The Empathy Toy home version sells for around $100 — The Empathy Toy home version sells for around $100. *(photo by Robyn Harrison)*

There are three versions of the Empathy Toy: a home version (also referred to as the “light version”) that sells for around $100; a school version that sells for $150-$200, with the price per unit going down with the more toys a school buys; and a version designed for organizations that sells for more than $200.

Schools typically ask 21 Toys to come in and do a professional development workshop with their staff. “Our toys are being used by Free the Children for their staff training,” said Ben-Ari. “We’ve done workshops with the Alzheimer’s society and children’s hospitals. There are a lot of opportunities for training for adults as a professional development tool.”

In British Columbia, Ben-Ari is aware of three places, so far, that are using the Empathy Toy – Holly Elementary in Surrey, the Discovery Centre for Entrepreneurship (Canada’s first Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy) and Coquitlam Open Learning. It is also being used at Winnipeg’s Gray Academy of Jewish Education and at Toronto’s Heschel School. The only place that sells the home version of the toy, apart from the 21 Toys website, is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

Next in 21 Toys’ design sights is the Failure Toy, for which the company has nearly finished the prototype. “This toy will look like a cousin to the Empathy Toy,” said Ben-Ari. “It’ll be an abstract puzzle with funny game dynamics.

“The point of that toy will be to say, ‘Look, failure isn’t this fantastic thing, [but] it’s a very important part of the learning process and we shouldn’t give this signal that it’s bad and something to be avoided.’ Because, not only are we [preventing] ourselves from growing and from pushing ourselves and trying, but there’s no way we can be innovative or creative or even collaborate without having a healthy relationship with failure. You need to understand failure and develop it as a skill.”

Ben-Ari said that entrepreneurs need to go through stages to succeed. She referred to empathy as “the research phase, understanding where you are, context, the people you’re designing for and working with. Then comes failure with prototypes. Then comes the third toy in the fleet, which will be about improvisation. This stage is a lot like brainstorming and being able to build on other people’s ideas.”

For more information, visit twentyonetoys.com.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Gators, jazz and more

Honey Island Swamp tours take passengers through a landscape untouched by time. (photo from louisiananorthshore.com)

Our Jeep is stationary and I’m marveling at the scenery when I feel someone nuzzling my back very gently. Turning slowly, I find myself eye to eye with an adult zebra whose broad smile displays a set of large, yellow teeth. His message is clear: “Corn, please, ma’am!”

This being the Global Wildlife Centre in Folsom, La., the zebra isn’t overstepping his boundaries in the slightest. He knows only too well that private Jeep tours like ours are well stocked with one of his favorite treats – dried corn. I fill my plastic cup and pour corn directly into his gaping mouth, watching as my new friend guzzles the food in seconds.

photo - The author’s daughter feeds zebras and a Somali giraffe at the Global Wildlife Centre in Folsom, La. — The author’s daughter feeds zebras and a Somali giraffe at the Global Wildlife Centre in Folsom, La. *(photo by Lauren Kramer)*

The largest free-roaming wildlife park in the country, the Global Wildlife Centre’s 900 acres are filled with 30 species of very tame herbivores and omnivores from all over the world. There are Somali giraffe, Chinese Father David deer, South American rhea birds, African eland and zebra, Australian kangaroos, Indian black buck and at least 1,000 fallow deer. It’s the latter that all the other animals are eyeing wearily the day of our Jeep tour. “It’s rutting season,” explains our guide, Paul. “This is a time when the fallow deer are mean to each other and to all the other animals, too!”

The animals scamper toward the Jeeps and wagon tours, conditioned to understand that visitor-filled vehicles mean free food handouts. Their proximity allows close encounters, with some animals feeding directly out of our hands and others opening their mouths gratefully as my daughter Sarah and I pour food inside. Trust me, nothing gets a kid off their iPod faster than the extended tongue of an African watusi cow with impressive horns and imploring eyes, or the sweet, kissing sensation of a 16-foot reticulated giraffe willingly scooping food from the palm of your hand. Sarah, 11, turns to me with shining eyes and a huge smile. “This is so cool,” she declares.

We’d crossed the 24-mile causeway from New Orleans to St. Tammany Parish a few days earlier, intent on exploring Louisiana’s North Shore. With Lake Pontchartrain behind us, we quickly learned that the nine communities that comprise the parish offer the warm friendliness of the south coupled with a great selection of outdoor, family friendly attractions – from giraffes to swamp monsters and beady-eyed alligators.

photo - Bike rentals are available at several points along the Tammany Trace hiking and biking trail, which used to be an Illinois Central Railroad corridor — Bike rentals are available at several points along the Tammany Trace hiking and biking trail, which used to be an Illinois Central Railroad corridor. *(photo from louisiananorthshore.com)*

We started out on the still waters of Cane Bayou in Lacombe, paddling past trees heavy with Spanish moss and turtles sunning lazily on upturned logs. Within minutes, the traffic was far behind us and birdsong filled the air. With Fontainebleu State Park on one side of the bayou and a national wildlife refuge on the other, this is a landscape untouched by time, one as perfect today as it was 150 years ago. I had bare feet drifting overboard the kayak when our guide, Shannon Villemarette, owner of Bayou Adventure, pointed out a statuesque 10-foot alligator a few yards away. “Best to put your feet back in the boat,” she said, reeling in the shrimp bait that was dangling from a fishing line off the end of the kayak. I followed her advice, thinking there seemed little point attracting reptilian attention in a place this remote.

Later that day, though, Captain John was determined to do just that. Our guide on the Honey Island Swamp had attached a white marshmallow to the end of a stick and was dangling it off the end of our boat. Within seconds, we were in the company of an alligator – a small one, but a reptile whose larger relatives surely weren’t far away. “They think these are turtle eggs,” explained the captain of the Pearl River Eco-Tour excursion, who was leading our group of 20. The brochure had tempted us with potential sightings of panther, wild boar, alligators, and perhaps even the elusive swamp monster.

In no time at all, the feral hogs showed up on the embankment, pushing each other out the way to get as close to the boat as they could. It turned out they were avid marshmallow fans, too. “They’re a real problem right now,” says the captain, describing the speed at which the wild pigs reproduce – three times a year from the age of three months.

The two-hour tour takes us deep into the swamp and we putter gently through some of its narrow channels, examining the plant life. Bald cypress trees point their skinny knees out of the water while Spanish moss hangs like thick, ghostly white hair from their branches. The captain pulls closer to the bank to peer at unusually large tracks in the mud. “I have no idea who or what made these prints,” he says, shaking his head. “I’ve also been out here at night and heard sounds I can’t identify. I’m not saying it’s the swamp monster. I’m just saying, I don’t know.”

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond, B.C. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net.

***

If you go:

Where to stay: Covington’s new boutique Southern Hotel is an elegant oasis of comfort in a 150-year-old building located in the heart of the city’s historic centre, 1-985-871-5223 or southernhotel.com.
Global Wildlife Centre offers wagon tours (kids $11, adults $17) and private Jeep tours at $35 per person, 1-985-796-3535 or globalwildlife.com.
Kayak rentals and guided bayou tours are offered at bayouadventure.com in Lacombe, 1-985-882-9208 or bayouadventure.com. For swamp tours, contact Pearl River Eco-tours at 1-985-892-0708 or pearlriverecotours.com.

Calcutta: community, family, history

There are a few vestiges that remain of the Jewish community in Calcutta, including the Jewish Girls’ School and Nahoum’s. (photos by David Berson)

It was family history, alongside a taste for discovery, that took local Jewish community member and Or Shalomnik David Berson to Calcutta recently. A major Indian metropolitan centre near Bangladesh, it used to be home to one of India’s largest Jewish communities.

Berson’s mother, Seemah, is originally from Calcutta. Born there in 1931, she has lived in Vancouver since 1954. However, her connections to the city remain vivid. This past summer, the Recalling Jewish Calcutta (jewishcalcutta.in) virtual museum was launched, and it includes several contributions from Seemah.

“The Baghdadi Jewish community came to Calcutta during the British Raj,” explains the site. “When India gained its independence, they were unsure of what their future would be in an Indian India.” Many community members emigrated to other Commonwealth countries through the 1940s and ’50s, leaving “few traces behind.”

Among those traces are three synagogues, two schools, a cemetery and several businesses. “Ezra Mansions and the Ezra Hospital, Nahoum’s Confectionary, and two buildings in the zoo that are owned and endowed by Jews still bear Jewish names. There is the Belilios Street, Ezra Street and Synagogue Street. There are many other mansions, residences and office buildings that still stand but they no longer bear their Jewish names and few know they were once Jewish owned.” The site notes that there are “barely 30 Jews left in the community, most very elderly.”

photo - Born in Calcutta, Vancouver Jewish community member Seemah Berson has contributed various items to the Recalling Jewish Calcutta virtual museum, including this photo of her with her father. — Born in Calcutta, Vancouver Jewish community member Seemah Berson has contributed various items to the Recalling Jewish Calcutta virtual museum, including this photo of her with her father.

While Calcutta attracted Berson with its density, architecture and wide Indian roads, the city’s Jewish jewel was the main draw. “It was very moving to see how deep the roots of the Jewish community were and how much of a role they played in Indian life, and I got a much better sense of the joy of life my mother experienced when growing up,” he said.

Nahoum’s bakery, a cultural phenomenon in its own right, combines Jewish and Indian cuisine. “It helped me make a connection with some of the community that lived there and are still in Calcutta,” explained Berson about visiting the bakery, where one can find cheese samosas and a unique type of boureka.

Berson said the food of the Jewish community in general is known for its creativity and its tastefulness. One of the many examples of an Indian dish that was popular in the Jewish community is aloo makala, a potato dish that is slowly cooked in oil. A connection of Berson’s mother, Flower Silliman, a native Calcutta resident, lived abroad for many years – including in Israel, where she established the first Indian restaurant in Jerusalem – before returning to Calcutta.

Central Calcutta and the Park Street-Esplanade region were the main areas where the Jewish community was centred. Built in the mid-19th century, the Great Eastern Hotel was recently renovated. It used to be a gathering spot for the Jewish community – including for Berson’s mother – to sip a beer. The New Market area was where the Judean Club used to meet. The Jewish Girls School today is secular and attended by all non-Jewish students, but one can still see where the mezuzah used to be fitted.

The splendor of the former community really came to life for Berson when he visited the city’s synagogues: Beth El, Magen David and Neveh Shalom, today culturally preserved by members of the city’s Muslim population. The back of Beth El included a mikvah and also a special oven to bake matzah, which had been in use until recently, supervised by the community’s few remaining Jews. Now, the buildings only see tourist groups, with the rare exception, such as last year, when the Israeli ambassador to India brought with him enough Jewish men to form a minyan for Simchat Torah celebrations at Magen David.

At the Jewish cemetery, grand in its magnitude, the high-water level makes traditional burial impossible. Bodies would first be wrapped in a shroud, then put in concrete slabs and entombed, giving the final burial an almost Egyptian feel, according to Berson.

While it would be ideal to visit the remaining Calcutta Jewish community in person, the Jewish Calcutta virtual museum – a project spearheaded by Silliman’s daughter, Jael – offers an important resource to anyone interested. There are several exhibits bringing the community back to life, including through a film gallery and sections on notable members of the community, women pioneers, Jewish businesses and more, at jewishcalcutta.in.

Gil Lavie is a freelance correspondent, with articles published in the Jerusalem Post, Shalom Toronto and Tazpit News Agency. He has a master’s of global affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.

Arcady survives with soccer

Eugene Yelchin’s illustrations are an integral part of the storytelling in Arcady’s Goal.

What a special tribute to a parent. Eugene Yelchin’s most recent children’s book,

Arcady’s Goal, started with a 1945 photograph of the Red Army Soccer Club. One of fewer than a dozen photos of his family that “survived the turbulent history of the Soviet Union,” it includes the team’s captain, Arcady Yelchin, his father.

Historical fiction aimed at kids age 9 to 12, Arcady’s Goal (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2014) will hold the interest of older readers and elicit much discussion. Set in Soviet Russia during Stalin’s reign of terror, its main character, Arcady, is a feisty, self-confident 12-year-old who has lived in several children’s homes (“home” being euphemistic for camp or prison) since he was 3 years old and his parents were arrested on the charge of “participation in a terrorist organization. Preparing to overthrow Soviet power and the defeat of the USSR in a future war.”

Arcady has survived on his wits, his courage to stand up to those in authority and strength to deal with the consequences, and his incredible skill at soccer. Playing one-on-one soccer with other kids for rations, Arcady initially seems ruthless, but the act of it is revealed when he returns his winnings (“an eighth of bread, our daily ration”) to the boy he beats. And, when a group of inspectors comes to the compound, Arcady makes a deal with the director: Arcady will play whomever the director lines up and, for every win, the director will give him and the loser of the match two bread rations.

During the “games,” one of the inspectors seems especially interested in Arcady. While Arcady didn’t believe the director who, when trying to convince him to play, said there might be a soccer coach among the inspectors scouting for new talent, Arcady nonetheless starts thinking that this man is indeed a coach. When Ivan Ivanych returns to adopt Arcady, the boy thinks it’s because of his soccer talent – and that, if he fails to perform as expected, he’ll find himself back at the children’s home.

Without revealing what happens, the relationship between Arcady and Ivan is really touching. Reading how it develops, the hurdles they both have to overcome, the trust they both need to gain, the courage they both need to find, is inspiring, especially surrounded as they are by people who would do them ill out of fear or ambition – with two notable exceptions. Arcady’s Goal is a well-told story that respects its readers and doesn’t shy away from difficult material even while delivering a positive, hopeful message. The black and white illustrations by Yelchin communicate an additional depth of feeling and movement, or stillness.

image - The black and white illustrations by Yelchin communicate an additional depth of feeling and movement, or stillness. — The black and white illustrations by Eugene Yelchin communicate an additional depth of feeling and movement, or stillness in *Arcady’s Goal*.

Yelchin, who was born in Russia, left the former Soviet Union when he was 27. Arcady’s Goal is considered a companion novel to Breaking Stalin’s Nose (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2011). Also written and illustrated by Yelchin, the 2012 Newberry Honor book centres around 10-year-old Sasha Zaichik, who has wanted to be a Young Soviet Pioneer since he was 6 but when the time comes to join, “everything seems to go awry. Perhaps Sasha does not want to be a Young Soviet Pioneer after all. Is it possible that everything he knows about the Soviet government is a lie?”

In the author’s note that follows the story in Arcady’s Goal, Yelchin writes about an experience he had in the summer of 2013 when he was at Oakland University in Michigan to speak to students who were studying Breaking Stalin’s Nose. After his talk, he caught a cab to the airport. The driver had also come from St. Petersburg. When the reason for Yelchin’s trip came up in conversation, the driver fell silent, then revealed that his grandfather had died as a result of being sent to a hard labor camp for 10 years by Stalin. “I caught myself leaning in close to hear Yury,” writes Yelchin. “He was whispering.

“And so it goes. The terror inflicted upon the Russian people by Stalinism did not die with those who experienced it firsthand but continued on from one generation to the next. It is as if anyone born in the Soviet Union continued to suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder that has never been treated.” The Communist Party, with its preemptive strikes against people who might disagree with them, “ensured that this trauma would live on even after the demise of communism. It did so by shattering families of the enemies of the people. Their family members were denied places to live, work, permits and food rations. Children suffered the most. Infants were separated from their mothers, placed into the security police-run orphanages and often given different surnames.” Yelchin notes that everything was taken away from these children, and that children could receive the death penalty at age 12. For these and other reasons, says Yelchin, even 60 years after Stalin’s death, a cab driver thousands of miles away from Russia whispered “as he shared the fate of his grandfather, an enemy of the people.”

There is a teacher’s guide for Arcady’s Goal that can be downloaded from eugeneyelchinbooks.com/arcadys-goal.php. It is quite intriguing in and of itself, and would be an excellent resource for non-teachers as well.

Chanukah with Alzheimer’s

(photo from chabad.org)

Bubby’s crispy latkes, Grandpa’s melodious singing and the image of multiple generations gazing at the Chanukah flames – these are among some of our most cherished memories of Chanukah. But what are we to do when someone in our family is suffering from dementia and is no longer able to celebrate the holidays as he or she once did? How can we make sure that Chanukah remains meaningful and enjoyable, as well as safe, for the whole family? In search of answers, two experts in the field of eldercare and dementia offer some advice.

Dr. Allen Power is a geriatrician who is a recognized leader in the field of dementia and other eldercare topics. He has written extensively about dementia care and has been interviewed by major media outlets such as BBC television and the Wall Street Journal.

Dan Fern is the owner of Homewatch CareGivers, a home-care services company in Phoenix. Fern’s mother is an elderly Holocaust survivor who suffers from dementia.

Menachem Posner: As we plan our celebrations with our aging family members in mind, what can we do to make the experience as smooth as possible?

Allen Power: Scheduling is important. Think about what time of day your parent or grandparent feels best, and schedule your celebration for that time. Some people feel better in the morning, and others do better in the evenings, so plan accordingly. Also, bear in mind that they may not be able to handle as long a party as they once did, so plan to have a shorter party, or at least a way for them to leave when you sense that they are beginning to tire.

Also, coach small children in advance. Help them understand the sensitivities involved, and let them know about communication issues or other limitations beforehand so that they can contribute to a positive experience.

Dan Fern: I would add that it may be better to bring the party to them instead of bringing them to the party. That will reduce the level of stimulation and allow them to enjoy the celebration in a safe, familiar environment. Also, designate someone in advance whose job it will be to act as caregiver, making sure that the parent or grandparent can take a rest or go to the bathroom when they need to.

MP: How can we deal with dietary restrictions? What do you suggest for seniors who are no longer able to cook?

AP: I don’t have a lot of concerns about food. In many cases, you can probably work around whatever restrictions there are. Even though there are some caveats, it’s important to involve people with traditions. Flavors and smells can evoke powerful memories, even for people who forget so much, so they are important.

DF: In my work, it is important that our staff help our clients participate to whatever degree possible. We may have women read recipes, stir a pot, cut veggies, or give them other roles they feel connected to. Of course, for men, we also try to help them take on at least part of the role they used to have, making sure they are not left out.

MP: What do you suggest for menorah lighting? What can we do for people who are no longer able to light on their own?

DF: My mom is 91, and she has moderate dementia. We go to her apartment and light the candles, and she loves to watch them and sing the songs. Singing is a big part of the Jewish holidays and a form of reminiscence. It has also been shown to put you in a better mood and brings oxygen to your brain. Stimulation from light, sounds and large crowds of people can be overwhelming for her, so we come to her apartment, and she thoroughly enjoys the experience. We also make sure to take out the menorah a few days in advance and leave it out where she can see it and discuss it. Just seeing the unlit menorah brings her comfort.

AP: Also make sure that you do it in a safe way. If you are afraid the person may knock over the flames, tea lights placed on a tray are a good, safe alternative.

MP: What can be done to ease the discomfort of a Chanukah gift-giver who no longer knows who gets what?

AP: If people are forgetful, never put them on the spot. Coach family members to introduce themselves when they arrive, and to do so often throughout the visit. Set things up so that they cannot make mistakes that will embarrass them. If there is gift giving, keep a written record so that they can refer to a list.

DF: And when they do make a mistake, don’t correct them; just go with it. My mom knows my name but she doesn’t know our relationship. Sometimes she calls me her nephew, and sometimes she calls me a relative. I don’t correct her. If they use the wrong name, just accept it. Of course, you can help things along by reminding your parent or grandparent beforehand what people’s names are and how they are related.

MP: How many nights of Chanukah would you suggest celebrating?

DF: It’s a unique experience every night. Even if you do exactly the same thing every night, people with dementia will not remember and will be happy to do it each time, so see them as much as you can. It’s well documented that, for people with dementia, a good mood lingers even they no longer know what caused them to feel good in the first place. Remember, you have a limited number of days to celebrate with your beloved parent or grandparent, so take advantage of all the time that is available.

AP: That’s right. One of the wonderful things about people with dementia is that they live fully in the present, so make the most of each present moment. If you want to make some visits briefer than others, that’s fine.

MP: What tips can you suggest for taking grandchildren to see grandparents with dementia?

AP: In my writings, I spend a lot of time talking about how we can model though our speech and body language, showing others how to deal with our seniors. Treat their limitations matter-of-factly and normalize them. Tell the kids, “This is Grandma, we love her and it’s OK.” Give the message that they don’t need to be fearful. You can also show respect by asking the senior for an opinion, demonstrating that this person is someone to be looked up to. Cast your parent or grandparent in the role of wise elder. Also, since people with dementia live in the moment, they tend to do well with little kids who also live in the moment.

DF: When asking questions, make sure they can answer them. Say things, like, “We use this candle to light the menorah, right?” or “Remember when we had such a great time last year?” Even if they don’t remember, they are likely to say they do. You can also engage them by using open-ended comments that allow them to respond as they see fit. With a lot of people, showing affection is very appropriate. Sit next to them, hug them, kiss them and hold their hand. Do what you can to make them feel welcomed and part of what is going on around them.

MP: With so many people living far away from parents and grandparents, what can be done to make holidays special from a distance?

AP: It depends on the person. You can always call [or] Skype, even when it’s not Chanukah. For some people, seeing a face and voice may be very reassuring. But be aware that some people may not relate to it, and seeing a loved one on a screen may be unsettling. In those cases, a handwritten letter that someone can read to them may be better.

DF: A major limitation for many older people is hearing impairment, which makes the phone and Skype difficult. Cards, drawings and pictures can often accomplish the same thing, and they can be looked at again and again.

MP: Any more advice?

AP: Most people with dementia are an open book. Look in their eyes and you can see how they are feeling and proceed appropriately.

DF: Constantly monitor the situation. Be aware of the possibility that you may be pushing the limits. They may be tired and ready for a nap. Keep close tabs, and act before things become a problem. It all comes back to the fact that we want them to have a good time, we want to make them feel comfortable and not put them on the spot. If we’re sensitive to their emotions, it can be a great Chanukah celebration. Chanukah is a time when we make and relive great memories.

AP: I hope this will help people not be fearful of bringing Chanukah to a relative with dementia. Isolation can be harmful, so I hope people take the plunge and do it well.

– This article is reprinted with permission from chabad.org.

Curl up with books from Waldman Library

There was an old lady who swallowed a dreidel … perhaps it’s fatal! There are many great stories to read to your kids over Chanukah. What a wonderful way to spend time with your family – curling up with a good book or CD. The Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library has lots of each from which to choose.

Two of the newest books for Chanukah are Honeyky Hanukah by Woody Guthrie and I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel by Caryn Yacowitz.

Written in rhyme, Honeyky Hanukah lights the way for a night of family, friends, food and fun in a warm and joyful celebration, and it includes a CD performed by the Klezmatics.

I Know an Old Lady is also a rhyming book, written in a cumulative style, and with the help of the artwork, this well-known folk song takes on a new life in this tale about celebrating Chanukah with Bubbe and her family.

Two of the library’s most popular classic storybooks to read aloud are A Hanukkah Treasury by Eric Kimmel and The Stone Lamp by Karen Hesse and Brian Pinkney.

Treasury is a Chanukah compilation filled with history, flavor, legends, contemporary stories, recipes and games, suitable for the entire family. Stone Lamp comprises a series of eight free-verse poems in which the authors capture the resilient spirit of the Jewish people through the imagined voices of eight children at Chanukah.

These are just some of the Chanukah books available at the library. There are also dozens of holiday CDs and the library even has a Chanukah klezmer collection. To peruse the entire catalogue, go to jcclibrary.ca or just come up to the second floor of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, say hi, and browse through the collection in person.